48 Laws of Power: An Honest Review

 Robert Greene has gained a lot of critical praise in recent years for his self-help books- and a little bit of controversy as well. He has written popular books like “Laws of Human Nature” and “33 Strategies of War”, we go back to the first book of this series which gave a foundation for all these titles: “The 48 Laws of Power”. 

In this review, I’ll be going through everything in the book, including the overall concept of the book, whether this book is suitable for you, along with other analysis. (Of course, with no spoilers!) 

What’s it about?

This book deals with the very structure and fabric of control and power, detailing into the past 3000 years of the history of power as we know it today, and serves as a manual for individuals who wish to wield power, learn when they are wielded by power, and those who want to deflect its influence on their lives. These tactics are explained thoroughly via 48 individual laws, along with instances of violation of the law (Transgression), their effective use (Observation), analysis of these events (Interpretation) and their reversal. 

Filled with instances taken from the lives of leaders, businesspeople, and other successful individuals, “The 48 Laws of Power” is a brutally honest book which deals with not only these incidents, but also how these forces impact us today, and how we can thrive using these rules in our lives.

Is this book for you? 

This book is somewhat controversial as it also shows the readers how to use tactics like manipulation, betrayal and deceit. I believe this is because the book simply lays down rules that will be useful for an individual who wants to gain power and control in our modern world. Some may also feel that this book sets certain figures and their deeds as examples for the readers to follow in some of the cases in the book who are immoral people..

However, it would not be correct to say that “48 Laws of Power” promotes immoral practices as it just shows the truth behind the realm of power in a non biased manner, and it is a realistic image of the cutthroat competition one may face in society.

If you’re alright with all the stuff I just mentioned then this might be a very interesting book to check out for any general reader and most of all for enjoyers of psychology books and for those exploring this genre. 

My Personal Thoughts

Very, very well researched

This book is extremely well researched. “48 Laws of Power” is abundant with anecdotes, proverbs, real life stories and incidents and studies from almost every part of the world. I have never read a book this well researched and so well articulated in a way most readers can understand very easily. I also enjoyed the fact that there is also a small section on the side of each page usually containing something like a short story, a poem, a proverb, or perhaps an anecdote related to the law.

Individuality of the laws

Practically, in order to follow each of the laws, there are different requirements. Some laws require stealth, some require a sense of timing, some are based on strategy, and some are even based on knowing when to show no mercy and unleashing your wrath at its fullest (Law : “Crush your enemy totally”).

A couple of laws around the middle of the book, I believe have overlapping concepts with other laws which open the book. It would have been a bit more organised if these were added within those laws themselves as extended measures. Aside from that, it’s quite surprising to see how almost every law has a different concept that doesn’t overlap with the previous ones, especially in the later parts of the book.At the same time; the essence of the book itself remains the same throughout each page that the reader turns.

The final law and self contradiction of the book

The final law presented by Greene is “Assume Formlessness”, which states that no law is compulsory and the final decisions in the game of power are taken by instinct, not by rigid rules. 

Different readers have interpreted this ending differently: some feel it leaves the book open ended. Criticism is also seen as it raises the question: is the author contradicting everything he just explained? These are a few common ones among many. 

I think we should go back to the reversal sections of each law to understand what this ending means and how this book is meant to be perceived as per the author. 

As mentioned, each law has a reversal and there are only certain conditions where a law does work effectively; or else it may be ineffective or backfire. There are two or three laws, including the last one which do not have a reversal, but I noticed that these ones are extremely basic real life lessons that do not really have any room for a reversal. 

With this information, it’s safe to say that this volume is not intended to be a constitution for power; it’s just a reference book and a guidebook for beginners, because it’s fairly obvious that each different field might have different dynamics, and it is impossible to fully confine the rules of the game within a book, especially when it is the age-old game of power.

Conclusion

This was personally a very intriguing read for me, to put it in short. The way this book is written really elevates the experience, paired with the extensive research of the history of power and how it correlates to us today.

For me, more than a tutorial on power; it actually felt like a eye opener about the society we live in, and it made me really think about a lot of stuff about this and also about what kind of society we really wish for. 

So in conclusion, I would easily give this book a 

4/5